Meta Faces Federal Civil Trial Over Alleged Child Privacy Violations
Meta is currently defending itself in a federal civil trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Twenty-nine state attorneys general are suing Meta, alleging violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by improperly collecting personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. The lawsuit also claims Meta made deceptive statements about its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, that were likely to mislead consumers. During opening arguments, California's Deputy Attorney General, Megan O'Neill, asserted that Meta prioritizes profit over safety, concealing the presence of underage users and employing addictive design features to keep users engaged and harvest their data. Meta, represented by lead attorney Paul Schmidt, maintains it complied with COPPA requirements and denies deceptive practices, highlighting numerous safety features implemented on its apps. The company also argues it is protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decenc... 
